Error on page???

Tomorrow, district committee leadership from around the state meet in Columbia to be trained by the Board of Ordained Ministry of our conference on new procedures and deadlines that the district committees need to know about. Most folks reading this are Umers, and so, have at some time, lamented the long laborious process we call "steps into ordained ministry." I have the distinction of having been candidacy registrar for the BOM for 12 years, and in three conferences (Mo East, Mo West and simply Mo). I trained mentors, answered questions, defended processes and generally was the point person for process questions most of that time. I lived through the 1996 changes, having been registrat for most of 1992-2004. Groan.

Now we here that the ministry study will not be ready for General Conference next year. I confess that I have not taken the time to research why that is...but it can't be for lack of criticism of the process (hey, it's SO goood, let's leave it that way!) As I say in emergent talks, I know and so do you, that we are losing some of our most creative off the wall young leaders, whom we need desperately, to other denominations because they are impatient? Well, yes. Because they don't like our theology? Sometimes. But often than not, because something happens along the complicated way that hinders their process (a report is not filed; a ds doesn't turn in a recommendation; or maybe they mess up and don't show up for an interview and it happens one time too many, and bye-bye creativity. Not to say there aren't some good ones around ( I have plenty in my district) but we need even more. BTW there is no picture on this entry because every time I tried to access the "steps into ordained ministry board" from the GBHEM, I received the message "error on page." Hmmmm.